St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-12
FIVE DESPERATE MEN.
A Quintette of Hawk eyes Who Stirred a
Sc ction of Iowa into An
Uproar.
Frank Rainsbarger, the Last of Them,
Sentenced to Serve the State
for Life.
Some OF the Numerous Devilish Deeds
They Are Alleged to Have
Committed.
History of the Murder of Enoch j ohm
son, Father of Frank Rains
barger's Wife.
Special to the Globe.


Special to the Globe.
DIES MONIES, March 1.-THE conviction
and sentence to Imprisonment for life of
Frank Ralnsbarger. at Marshalltown yes
terday. no doubt is the end OF one of the
boldest gangs of roughs that ever terror
lied Iowa. The "Rainsbarger country" so
called, is strip of rough and partly tim
oered land lying along the Iowa
river. beginning about fifteen miles
northwest of Marshaltown and reach
Fails on the north. For twenty. five
years it has been infested with thieves and
desperadoes, to whom the Rainsbargers
five brothers-Frank. Nate. Fins. Mans and
William,) held a relation like that of Jesse
and Frank James to their gang-at least in
popular estimation. There were stealingS.
Outrages, mysterious disappearance and
murders but such reign OF terror existed
among residents that until recently nothing
was attempted except Intellectual OrganZa-
ton for self-protection.
THE LAW WAS POWERLEsS.
The communities of Steamboat Rock,
Abbott and EldOra were the centerS of dis
turbances. In 1870 Bob FiSkn, depot
agent at Steamboat who was known 10
have $1,000 on his person. disappeared. and
no trace OF him has ever been found by his
relatives, who have searched diligently.
His disappearance was followed few
years since by that of George Boyer, an
Abbott creamery man, who had
just drawn $1,000 pension money.
A few weeks previous to the trial
just closed. q letter. purport-
ing to have been written by him in Cali
fOrnia. and demanding his back pension
money, was received by the pension agent
at Des Moines, but it is alleged that it
was forgery, perpetrated for effect
upon the forthcoming trial. On the even
ing OF November Is, 1884, EnOch Johnson,
father of Mrs. Frank (Nettie) Rainsb arger.
who had been charged with counterfeiting,
bailed out by Frank and Nate and living
with them, was murdered OH the
road from Clifford to Abbott.
His life was insured in favor of
Nette and the boys. Nette became con-
vinced that Frank and Nate murdered him
to prevent both his ''peachng" and jump
ing bail, and also to secure his insurance
money, and in January, 1885, charged
them with the crime. The law and order
element rallied around her and the boys
hSiC uCAu " lliC CiiQi. IlISS NCiG IOW
in an uproar. In addition to her testimony
at the examination on Feb. s, 1885, she
wrote Frank (then in jail with Nate at Mar
slialltown for safe keeping) letter which
was published and in which
SHE ACCUSED THE BOYS
of the crime, intmating also other things in
which they had been engaged On April
16. Henry Johns. wealthy brother-in -law
and alleged hacker of the boys, was shot
while diving from Abbott to his farm,
afterwards dying of his wounds. On June
ii, Coroner tnow senatOr) Underwood and
DR.. Ritenour. while driving from Johns
residence, where they had been attending
the wounded man. were ambuShed
and shot at, their carriage being riddled
by bullets, but neither was hurt.
Fin. Mans and William, with Ed Johns,
were supposed to have been the attacking
parties. and Fin and Mans were arrested
the next day and lodged in the Eldora JAIL
That night the Jail was broken into by a
mob and Fin and Mans, after a hopeless re-
sistance. were shot down. AS illustrating
the fierce courage of the boys, it could be
added that the next day following this
fearful tragedy, William Rainsbarger and
Ed joins, the two others accused of the
Underwood shooting, rode boldly into FL
dora and gave bail for their appearance
Now it is said that there are grave doubts
whether any of the four were guilty of the
charge. DR.. Ritenour, soon after, moved
by the supplications of his family. moved
from the .country. but as rule those &C
lively engaged in forcing the RainSbargers
to the wall held bravely out against GALL
sorts of threats. Threatening letters were
sent every one supposed to be in sympathy
tho nf Eronl- Not
for Johnson'S murder, and acts of intimida-
ton and outrage were of daily occur
renee and were of course promptly laid to
1.-THE GANG"
The boys demanded separate trials. and
Mates case came first before Judge Hen
derson at Marshalltown, on a change of
venue, Jan. %, 1885, bringing with it
host OF armed and suspicious partisans of
both sides. BY strong circumstantial evil
dence the states counsel, III. l.. Huff, of
EldOra, followed the route taken by the
boys that night from their home to Cleves.
and thence through Steamboat Rock
and Eldora TO the scene OF the muir
der, the boys having. Ell route, changed
teams for the fast drivers of William Rains
barger. The evidence showed johnson to
have been killed with some blunt instru-
ment. the body placed on his horse, taken
a short distance and then dragged back to
give the appearance of RUNAWAY and
death by kicking and dragging. His buggy
was broken, evidently by hand, to aid in
this impression. Netties evidence, the
sensation of the trial, showed that there
was
BLOOD ON THE BOYS CLOTHES
next morning. and that Frank had taken a
pair of metal knuckles with him. The
theory of defendants attorneys was that
Johnsons horse frOm II to 20 years old)
was subject to fits, and that in one of his
fits he had killed Johnson. An alibl was
also established by evidence which the state
impeached. After three weeks trial and
the examination of nearly hundred wit
nesses, verdict of guilty was rendered.
and Nate was sentenced for life. A few
days ago, while Franks case was being
tried. the supreme court reversed Mates
case on an mmaterial portion of Nettie's
testimony held to be prejudicial. Franks
trial began over two weeks ago. the state
making stronger case than against Nate,
with the exception. of course, of Netties
testimony. which could not be used against
her husband. Defense also improved their
case by additional alibi testimony produced
for the first time, but which was promptly
impeached. The reversal of Mates case
on a technicality has caused great deal of
feeling in Hardin county, where the law
ami order element is now thoroughly or
gained and aggressive.
Aberdeen.
Special to the Globe.
ABERDEEN, Oak, March Thames H.